Pictures Palomino update - Mim is four and just as fab

[Jayzee]

Wow she has become the most beautiful colour and really matured! She is going to be a lot of fun I'm sure!

 

[LadyGascoyne]

It has the wide bar in.

He was only 3 here and has grown a lot. He wasn't fussed about having a saddle on though.

Ah he’s so lovely! He’s my favourite colour.

Does he have quite a forward girth groove? I thought the large contact area and the quite forward set English girth might work for Mim.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Yes forward groove and he gets a huge grass/hay belly as soon as he *looks* at any food.

I use a 'W' girth and that works well. I do have a curved one but haven't actually tried it... it could well be better.

You can see the W girth better here (trying a solution saddle on the grey).

 

[Shady]

I’m thinking of the barefoot Nevada which I think is one size, the physio pad to match it, the matching breastplate and then one of those curved girths.

Failing that, duct tape.

Lovely ! You don't need the physio pad LG. Honestly they are massive and so thick it's ridiculous . Really they are only needed for heavier riders and problem backs. You will be fine with an ordinary sheepskin. I don't know if you've ever seen the Grandeur sheepskin for the Barefoot but they are mighty thick enough and have pockets for shims.
Let me have a quick look as it's been a few years since I checked their site. I am fairly familiar with treeless saddles, having a nightmare to fit Arab n'all !!!
ETA. They call it the 'special' now

 

[Trouper]

Just drop dead gorgeous!

 

[PoppyAnderson]

I think if I ever parted with her, my husband would divorce me!

That's definitely a no then?

 

[Shady]

Lady G. Just a thought regarding the Nevada saddle and Mim.
It might be worth making sure you have a large and medium pommel insert. Mim has withers and it wouldn't surprise me if she needs a medium to get the clearance . It could be that you go between the 2 sizes depending on her growth and shape change. When mine is a bit porky I have to change to a large.
I'm not sure what the Nevada comes with as standard.

When buying Barefoot tack I always tell people to talk to them. Not the agents in the UK but at the main site in Germany. They are really helpful and speak English. You can send them a side photo of Mim and ask their advice on saddle style, size , girth etc and what you hope to do with Mim. xx

 

[LadyGascoyne]

Lady G. Just a thought regarding the Nevada saddle and Mim.
It might be worth making sure you have a large and medium pommel insert. Mim has withers and it wouldn't surprise me if she needs a medium to get the clearance . It could be that you go between the 2 sizes depending on her growth and shape change. When mine is a bit porky I have to change to a large.
I'm not sure what the Nevada comes with as standard.

When buying Barefoot tack I always tell people to talk to them. Not the agents in the UK but at the main site in Germany. They are really helpful and speak English. You can send them a side photo of Mim and ask their advice on saddle style, size , girth etc and what you hope to do with Mim. xx

Thanks! Great idea on the different inserts - I think she’ll bounce between sizes too. I’ll send them a photo, and get some feedback.

 

[LadyGascoyne]

I’ve picked up an older Barefoot Nevada to try on her. It wasn’t expensive so it can join the collection of generally unused saddles currently growing in my boot room if it’s not ok.

First impressions? Other than the pad being backwards - by the time I noticed, I’d wrangled two horses and a husband, had one hand trying to take photos whilst also on the phone to the 94 year old grandmother who had burnt her toast to the point that the fire department had to come out. So I plopped it, photographed it and ran.

Mim didn’t bat an eyelid!